I'm looking to do any kind of martial art with swords and i dont know any martial art names.So could you please list as many as you can think of so i get some options and maybe one of the arts is in my neghiborhood and i can train with them.

If you want us to help you find training oppurtunities in your neck of the woods, you're gonna have to tell us where you are. You're profile says your in New Jersey. Head over to http://www.swordforum.com and http://www.e-budo.com and search for New Jersey. Look particularly for Iaido, Kenjutsu, Kendo, and Iaijutsu. There is stuff to be had, I just can't recall the details off the top of my head.

Edited by Charles Mahan (05/25/0511:56 PM)

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Iaido -
Breaking down bad habits,
and building new ones.

Kung-Fu - Shaolin especially. They use both the Dao (a heavy saber) and Jian (double edged cut&thrust), as well as other weapons. Some schools teach some things and some don't.

Kenjitsu - Litterally, the art of the sword, includes all the katana arts, encompassing a broad range of styles. It focuses on drills, while some schools also have cutting exercises. Main weapon: bokken (wooden katana) and katana for cutting practice. Very few schools have two bladed arts (Unless you are in Seattle or Canada, forget it)

Iaido - Specific part of kenjitsu, the art of the katana draw. Also called Iaijitsu and Battojitsu. Uses mostly an iaito (unsharpened katana), with advanced students using sharpened blades.

Kendo - the sport version of Japanese swordplay. It consists mostly of armored duels with bamboo shinai.

Fencing - Moving westward, we get to a Franco-Italian style. It is armored combat along a strip with one of three weapons, foil, epee, and saber. Foil and epee are stabbing only, while saber is slashing. Electric scoring has moved things a bit far from their original intentions, especially in foil, but recent changes to timings should make things better.

The SCA - A group of people who teach various weapon arts including sword and shield, rapier and dagger, and broadsword. There is only one problem with them. I have been thoroughly unimpressed by any SCA group I have seen. The stretches are seconds long and useless, the techniques are showy, but ineffective, and their people were thoroughly slaughtered by two fencers that I know with minimal effort. I would suggest you avoid them and anyone else who teaches "Combat" swordsmanship.

There are other styles certainly, including Philipine swordmanship, but I'm not very familiar with them. The ones listed above are the big players on the field.

Kendo and Fencing are probably the most active and exciting of all of them, but are furthest removed from actual swordplay. Iaido, on the other hand, is very true to the katana, but many of its own masters has said that it should be like watching paint dry.

Just my suggestion... seek out any Fencing Salles near you. It is quite a bit different from the Eastern sword arts, but it is a very fulfilling and challening art. If you do not enjoy the concept of electric scoring in modern fencing, there are classical fencing classes that teach weapons in the forms of dueling and combat, rather than with the FIE rules. My Salle in particular teaches many different types of classical weapons including the Rapier, The Longsword, and even the Katana.

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"Put the POINTY END of the SHINY STICK on the other person!"

Krabi Krabong is the Thai weapons art. It teaches you how to use the Krabi (Thai sword), The Plong (Staff), Ngao (bladed staff), Daab Song Meu (Twin Swords), and Mae Sawk Sun (Twin Clubs). It also includes techniques from Muay Thai. There is also Kumdo which is the Korean version of Kendo...there are differences, but I wouldn't really know coz I don't take Kumdo.

Might wanna try doing some research at www.thearma.org, if you're interested in western swordfighting. I've read a book by the founder, and he knows his stuff. Then again, maybe you're part of the majority in here, and are interested in eastern swordfighting (can't us westerners get a fair shake? ).

I would try western fencing...but I couldn't find any place in my neck of the woods...hell it took me forever to find the kendo dojo I'm at now. I think it's fair to say.. Anyone who can find a place that teaches any kind of sword art be it eastern or western...you're lucky! hehehehehe

Quote:I'm looking to do any kind of martial art with swords and i dont know any martial art names.So could you please list as many as you can think of so i get some options and maybe one of the arts is in my neghiborhood and i can train with them.

PEACE

if it Japanese sword art try koryu.com as what was suggested by Charles Mahan. its loaded with useful infos

Filipino Martail Arts (eskrima-arnis) can also be a form of sword style.